Magnetic fasteners have been widely used in many consumer and domestic applications for a long time. For example, magnetic fasteners have been used on clothings and apparel as well as accessories such as handbags and brief cases. In addition, magnetic fasteners are also used in domestic appliances such as refrigerator or doors for closure. With strong and compact permanent magnets, for example, tablet-shaped magnets of above 1,200 Gauss, become available at lower costs, magnetic fasteners are becoming even more popular.
Magnetic fasteners are generally considered to be advantageous to conventional fasteners such as buttons because of the convenience they offer. For example, clothing articles or apparel with a pair of counterpart magnetic fasteners mounted on the corresponding flexible parts of the articles can be easily opened and closed. The flexible parts of the articles can be easily closed because, once the corresponding counterpart magnetic fasteners are in mutual proximity, mutual magnetic attraction will bring the counterpart magnetic fasteners together and effect the well known snap-fastening closure.
However, an immediate adverse consequence of such easiness in closure is the possible risk of inadvertent or accidental disengagement between the counterpart pair of magnetic fasteners which can cause embarrassment in some cases and loss of property in others. In addition, conventional magnetic fasteners are typically capable of resisting disengaging tension along a single axis, for example, along or transversal to the magnetic coupling axis. Thus, fastening and un-fastening of counterpart magnetic fasteners are generally done along the common magnetic axis between the two counterpart permanent magnets. However, this simplistic tension resistance may not be adequate for some applications. Hence, it will be highly desirable if there can be provide improved magnetic fasteners which alleviate shortcomings of conventional magnetic fasteners. More specifically, the improved magnetic fasteners should offer the same or similar convenient level as do conventional magnetic fasteners while alleviating the undesirable risks of undesirable and inadvertent risk of disengagement between counterpart magnetic fasteners. Furthermore, it will be highly desirable if there can be provided improved magnetic fasteners which can resist disengaging tension along more than one directions while providing the convenience offered by conventional magnetic fasteners.